navaneetham apr 2008 - guruvayoor · monthly newsletter of guruvayoor devotees forum submitted at...

Monthly Newsletter of Guruvayoor Devotees Forum

\h\oXw\h\oXw\h\oXw\h\oXw NAVANEETHAMNAVANEETHAMേമടംേമടംേമടംേമടം 1183 / April 2008

http://group.yahoo.com/groups/guruvayur \h\oXw Page- 1


Wish you a very happy VISHU and New Year!!!!

(Graphics courtesy - Pravin Balan ([email protected])

Om Namo Narayanaya:Om Namo Narayanaya: WQxVeL YOâvLpPqÕLWQxVeL YOâvLpPqÕLWQxVeL YOâvLpPqÕLWQxVeL YOâvLpPqÕLWQxVeL YOâvLpPqÕLWQxVeL YOâvLpPqÕLWQxVeL YOâvLpPqÕLWQxVeL YOâvLpPqÕL!!!!

Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya. http://group.yahoo.com/groups/guruvayur \h\oXw Page- 2


Submitted at the lotus feet of

Sri Guruvayoorappan by the devotees.

Navaneetham is completing two years of publication. We take

this opportunity to thank dear Guruvayoorappan for allowing us

to continue this project successfully every month. Also we like

to thank all the members contributed and

helped to make this a success. Sunil Menon, Editor

Om Namo Narayanaya:



v]xpNWoU / v]xpNWoU / v]xpNWoU / v]xpNWoU / CONTENTS

ഗേണശസ തി ഗേണശസ തി ഗേണശസ തി ഗേണശസ തി / / / / വിഷ� �ണിവിഷ� �ണിവിഷ� �ണിവിഷ� �ണി 5 NR Pillai (Raju)

h¡bl« hb¤ o¥ac«h¡bl« hb¤ o¥ac«h¡bl« hb¤ o¥ac«h¡bl« hb¤ o¥ac« 6 Dr. AP Skukamr

MY LOVE 7 Neena & Manoj

My Grandmother's Faith8

Balagopal Ramakrishnan

Geeta Dhyaanam 9 Veena Nair

Kadampuzha Sree Parvathy Temple11

Seema Ravindran

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¨ci®·¢j¢- -¨ci®·¢j¢- -¨ci®·¢j¢- -¨ci®·¢j¢- -amJ«~ 2amJ«~ 2amJ«~ 2amJ«~ 2 15 Balendu

NALAMBALAM YATHRA 16 Bhadra Krishna Prasad

Kanichukulangara Temple 22 Indu

Sarada Ma 25 Veena

Vishu & Wealth 29 Balagopal Ramakrishnan

Speaking with “Death” 31 Vinod PS

c¡j¡iXJlO« : o¤jÈ¡h±É«c¡j¡iXJlO« : o¤jÈ¡h±É«c¡j¡iXJlO« : o¤jÈ¡h±É«c¡j¡iXJlO« : o¤jÈ¡h±É« 35 Balendu

c¡j¡iXJlO«c¡j¡iXJlO«c¡j¡iXJlO«c¡j¡iXJlO« 38 AP Skukamr

സ�ാതിതി�നാളം ഭാരതീയസ�ാതിതി�നാളം ഭാരതീയസ�ാതിതി�നാളം ഭാരതീയസ�ാതിതി�നാളം ഭാരതീയ��സംഗീതവ� ം സംഗീതവ� ം സംഗീതവ� ം സംഗീതവ� ം - - - - ഒ� ച� �ഒ� ച� �ഒ� ച� �ഒ� ച� � 39

NR Pilla Raju

Temples in USA 49 Chandra Sekharan

Member News – Group News50

Vinod PS, Anjusha & Sreekumar

WQxVeL YOâvLpPqÕL!



ഗേണശസ തി ഗേണശസ തി ഗേണശസ തി ഗേണശസ തി .... ((((രാ"----വിളാവ#് ))))

നീലകണ( തനയാ ഗണപതി ,,,,േമലിേലയ+ വരാനിരിയ+ ം മമമാലക,ിയ-.ഹിേയ0 ണേമ

ഫാലദായക , , , , ൈ4േലാക5പ6 ജിത !!!!

വിഷ� �ണി വിഷ� �ണി വിഷ� �ണി വിഷ� �ണി ::::

ഉണ;േവഗം നീ, , , , ഉണ;േവഗം നീ,,,,ഉണ;േവഗം നീ, , , , കണികാലരിവ?ണ@�� , , , , േവഗം നീവിഷ� �ണി കാEതിയിF ദീപംവ�@ാ= ക� ----ണിെ�ാ?Gകി തളികയിF ....

െവHേ�ാടിെ@ാറി@�വ�തിF മ� ഴ� ----െവHരിയ0 യം പിെ? നാണ5വ� ം� ....

വാF �ണA ാടിയം� , , , , െനKണികളം ഞാെനാ� ----��ിയതിF വിഷ� �ണികാ


h¡bl« hb¤ o¥ac«©V¡. F.d¢.o¤J¤h¡t

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c¢¨Ê h¡i¡ h¤jq¢ ©d¡v S¡u c¢¼¤ c¢u o§jl¡p¢i¡i®

l¼¤ JÙ¤ c£ c¢Y¬h¤¾¢v h¥¼¤ ©k¡J Yk·¢k¤« F¼¤¨h¼¤« ‘C¨Y¡¼¤’ h¡±Y« F¼¤ S¡cs¢i¤¨Ø¡r¤«c¥s¤ a¢l¬ da¹q¡v c¢u lt»c¹q¢v h¤Lèc¡i®l¡´¤ h¤¶¢i©cj¨h¼¢v o¤o§j¥d« J»c¡i®



My LoveManoj & Neena

I love my parents, Like I lover my butter !

See my hands, placed one inside my mouth

And the other inside the pot ! due to the taste

And my wish I have on that !

A day without butter I can not imagine and to get

My daily butter I do any childish pranks!

With love , care & kisses

Dear parents, this is me your’s dear & dearest Kannan.

Toooo … Much butter is on my lips and all around this is for my

Father & mother …. Come behind me and take it…. Ha..ha…haaaaa…

Kindly read the above with well purified love on our lord Krishan…

To the lotus feet of our beloved god : Manoj & Neena , P.O.Box: 1169; Sharjah – U.A.E



My Grandmother's FaithBalagopal Ramakrishnan

Earliest memory about my grandmother is herruthless daily routine of waking up at 3.30 inthe morning. Like most children I was alsofond of her. She took opportunity of this bywaking me up at every hour to figure out whattime was it of the night. Being above 75 (sinceI remember), she could miss a chime or twoof the clock and she did not know to read theclock. By no means she wanted to miss herroutine. Getting up so early our lady had a lotto do. Cleaning and setting up the 'puja' roomtook about an hour or so. Followed this byhaving a round at the cow sheds, cleaning itup and get the holy animals ready for the dayit will be time for her personal hygiene. Thehouse stood in a plot of more than an acreand had two ponds- one large and the othersmaller. Big one for regulars and smaller forthe special days of the month for the women.She was extremely obstinate about thesesegregations. At her age she always used thebig one every time. Rain or thunder, hotmonths of Meenam and Medam or the bonebiting cold nights (in those days)ofDhanu and Makaram (maram kochunnamakaram)she had to do one hundred dipsholding her nostrils, to complete her bathingablutions. By now the time is leaving itsrelaxed zone and moved into the erroneouszones of hectic activities. Changing herclothes, tying up her hair which can no morego grey and white, prepares to rush to thenearby Bhagavathy temple. It is still dark andthe world is still in its deep slumber. By thetime she is hurrying out some members in thehouse might step out of their beds. The twohouses ( main building and a new modernone) had a fairly large ground. A wholebattalion arrives to start sweeping the area.She has to walk through the road, which isthe main thoroughfare. She paces fast withjust one Goal-to touch the temple with all thatprayers and devotion. She didn't know a thingabout religion, and unheard of even the word-spirituality. Never bothered to know too. Sheknew to keep the god's name on her lips. It

meant everything. And she was extremelycareful about keeping herself safe from thosewho didn't belong to her caste. Even withinher own people she kept her distinction-shewould repeat the hundred dips if someonewho has not taken the bath happens to touchher. While walking to the temple she wascareful not to stamp on any cloth piece,and/or even a thread. She would return backhome, take her hundred dips, change clothesand then go to the temple. Had she done thismore than once? Yes. After growing too old tocontinue these practices she used to spendtime at the homes of her children who werestaying in far off cities. Once at one of thesehomes she had literally did a long jump toavoid the very large foot mat which had someclothe threads on it. She just couldn't beareven the thought of going any where nearthem. It could be of someone from the othercastes!! Who knows!! At her age frequent longjumping was not a good idea and she fellbadly and broke her legs. She was a devoteepar excellent. By the time she reaches thetemple, the poor temple priest himself mightnot have reached. She would wait. Anembarrassed pujari hurries up and the godsand goddesses are awakened. Mygrandmother was not an exception, in factshe was the general. Our religion trudged ,trudges and will trudge along deeply rooted inits rituals, with most of them totally ignorant ofwhat they are doing, and even not wanting toknow them too. But for one thing they were allsure- they remembered the star and birthdates of all their children, grandchildren andclose relatives and bothered and took pain toconduct 'pushpanjali' and many otherofferings for their well being. These are theinvestments they did to see their progenieswind through the myriad labyrinths of their lifein good and bad times and spaces. Whatdrove them was simple, unadulterated FAITH.They just believedand they lived.



Geeta Dhyanam

Veena Nair

|| Om Namo Narayanaya ||

Krishna is talking about the virtues of ‘action’. Not for a minute can any creature indulge in inaction.

Krishna is advocating here that man should act with the right attitude so as to avoid wasting his/her energies

in useless pursuits. Then there are people who think of taking sanyaas or believe that giving up the world

and retiring to some secluded place is the antidote to all problems. But Krishna says, even that is a mistake.

Because –

karmendriyaani sam-yamya ya aaste manasa smaran |

indriyaarthaan-vimudhaatmaa mithyaachaarah sa uchyate || 3.6 ||

He, who restraining the sense organs, sits thinking of the sense objects, is of confused understanding, and

is a hypocrite.

Krishna says that for one aspiring to renunciation, a withdrawal from all kinds of actions must be

accompanied by the mental withdrawal from all sense objects – everything that is bound to attract the

senses. Otherwise he is a hypocrite.

Swami Chinmayananda explains that far worse than physically indulging in a negative thought is to mentally

indulge in it. This is because the mind has a tendency to repeatedly cling to its own thoughts; so it is like

digging a trench for the mind, when we repeatedly indulge in some immoral or criminal thought; the mind

gets used to thinking that way and before long we will find all our actions motivated by those evil thoughts.

Similarly a mind engaged in some pleasure of the senses will continue to drown itself in those pleasures and

the person finds himself caught in a whirlpool of unwanted thoughts and related actions. To also pretend to

be physically virtuous while engaging at the mental level in foul motives is the sign of a hypocrite.

Krishna now explains how one should act –



yas-tvi-indriyani manasaa niyamya rabhate Arjuna |

karmendriyaaih karma-yogama-saktaha sa vishisyate || 3.7 ||

Whosoever controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, engages in Karma Yoga without attachment, he

excels.

But O Arjuna, the man, who when called upon to act, controls his mind and acts through the organs of action

i.e. tongue, hands, feet, etc. “unattached” without desire for the fruits of actions, is superior to the hypocrite.

The mind is nurtured by the different senses- sense of smell, touch, sight, hearing, etc. which draw it to the

outer world. If the mind of a man is able to control how and when the senses act, then that man is truly on

his way to a successful spiritual life. Swamiji says that a lot of energy is dissipated through the sense

organs, and controlling the senses builds up a lot of that energy. These energies can then be used in

directing the physical organs to execute what the mind desires. No new rubbish gets stuck to our mind and

then such a mind in due course becomes purified and leads to self-liberation.

Again stressing the importance of action –

niyatam kuru karma, twam karma jyaayo hya-karmanaha |

shareera-yaatraapi cha ten a prasiddhed-akarmanaha || 3.8 ||

You perform your duty – for action is superior to inaction. Even the maintenance of the body would not be

possible by inaction

Niyatam karma includes all the obligatory duties in the home or office or in the general world. If we are

completely idle even the routine maintenance of our body will suffer. Krishna suggests that it is wrong to

think that actions lead to bondage – there are different types of actions and one should be careful to perform

those actions that do not tie one down ----

|| Hari Om ||

To be continued……………………



Kadampuzha Sree Parvathy Temple

Seema Ravindran

The Temple for Sreeparvathi at Kadampuzha, dedicated to Goddess Vana Durga, is one of the most prominent Devi

temples in Kerala. The temple is very simple in architecture without any imposing edifices or a gold-plated flagmast.

There are no festival processions or drum concerts. But the multitude of birds nestling on the verge of the green belt

provide a natural ambience with their non-stop chirping and it is fully in tune with Kerala's temple culture; Kavu as it

was known in ancient times, an epitome of preservation of ecological balance, though today much of the tress have been

cut to make new dewaswom office constructions.

Legend about the origin of the temple is associated with the popular episode in the Mahabharatha where Arjuna does

penance to appease Lord Siva to obtain the divine weapon Passupathastra. Lord Siva approaches Arjuna as a hunter

(Kiratha) with His divine consort Sreeparvathi escorting Him as huntress (Kirathi). Arjuna is challenged by the Lord in

disguise to test the skills of the boon-seeker.In the fierce battle between Lord Siva (Kiratha) and Arjuna, the arrows that

Arjuna showered on Lord Siva miraculously turned into Thechi flowers by Sree Parvathy’s curse. Finally the Goddess lost

Her patience and unarmed Arjuna by getting all the arrows in his quiver vanish. Arjuna, finding his quiver empty of

arrows, used his bow to fight with the Lord. They exchanged blows for long and when at last Arjuna was about to hit

Kirata on head with his bow, Goddess Ganga caught hold of the bow and made it also vanish. Arjuna was not put off and

he used his fists against Kirata. At last Kirata lifted up Arjuna and threw him on the ground. Helplessly lying on the

ground, Arjuna made a Sivalinga with sand and started praying offering whatever he could pluck from the bushes nearby.

On opening his eyes, he was amazed to find that all his offerings were falling as flowers on the head of Kirata. Suddenly it

dawned on Arjuna that Kirata was none other than Lord Siva and prostrates before Them and begged Their forgiveness

for his folly. Pleased with Arjuna, Lord Siva blessed him and gave him the pasupata astra, the divine arrow. Goddess

Ganga too was pleased and returned Arjuna his bow.

Later the Kirata couple wandered through the forests around as Parvathy was enchanted by the beauty of the scenery

around Her. During Their journey Parvathy felt thirsty. Then Lord Siva shot an arrow into the ground and suddenly a

beautiful spring gurgled out of it. Her thirst quenched, Goddess said She would like to stay there for ever as it was a

beautiful spot. The legend goes that thenceforth the place came to be blessed with Their presence.

Long afterwards, Jagadguru Sankaracharya during his wandering over the country happened to pass a little to the west of

the spot. Lord Siva did not want Sankaracharya to see Him and so moved a little away from the spot. But He asked

Parvathy to show Her presence to the Jagadguru. Seeing the divine glow Sankaracharya tried to approach it. Finding that

the heat emanating from the glow did not allow him to approach it, Sankaracharya meditated upon the Goddess in Her

infinite form for a few minutes. Then as he approached the glow, it began to diminish in size gradually and finally

disappeared in to a hole in the ground. With his divine power, Sankaracharya then recognized that it was the Twarita



Bhava of Kirata Parvathy. He thought that a temple for the Goddeess there would be of great benefit to the people around

and for the welfare of the world as a whole. The Jagadguru then sent one of his disciples to a nearby Brahmin’s house to

collect Pooja materials. The disciple returned with a Warrier following with the Pooja materials. Getting water from a

nearby spring, the Acharya did the Abhisekha and performed an elaborate Pushpanjali for Goddess Durga with the

Thechi flowers that was growing in abundance there. It was after covering the hole with a leaf that he performed the

pooja. As the legend goes it is in memory of this that even now, of all the offerings there, Poomodal (covering with

flowers) is considered to be the most important and as most pleasing to the Goddess. The uniqueness of this Durga

temple also rises from this. For there is no idol for the Devi here and Poojas are performed at the hole (about 6 cms

diameter). In place of the leaf, a white hibiscus flower used to be placed there formerly. Now a days, a silver plate on

which a hibiscus flower has been carved with a depression and holes for Abhisekha water to flow down is used over which

the Panchaloha idol (Titampu or Utsavamuthy) is placed to represent the Goddess.

It is said that this event took place of the Karthika of Vrischika month (November – December) and this particular day is

still being celebrated as the Prastishtadina of the temple and that day’s Poomodal ceremony is conducted by the temple

authorities themselves.

The Kirata Temple:

The legend contiunues that when this incident took place Lord Siva as Kirata was sitting on a rock, a little to the west of

the spot and a forest dweller, Matampi, happened to see Him. Lord Siva then took His original form and directed the

Matampi to go to the Nair Landlord of the place and direct him to construct a temple for Him (in the form of

Kiratamurthy) there. The landlord reached the place with the Matampi but could not see anything special there as Lord

Siva had already disappeared. The same night the landlord had a dream which convinced him that the Matampi’s words

were true. So he got a temple constructed there for Lord Siva as Kiratamurthy with a bow and arrow, facing the east. The

most important offering here is “Viluchartal” (offering a bow). This temple known as Matampikavu is about 2 km to the

west of the Bhagavathy temple where the Devi is facing the west. Regular poojas are conducted in the Kirata temple only

during the Mandala season (November-December). To have one’s desires fulfilled, it is believed that the person has to

visit and make offerings in this temple also after worshipping at the Bhagavathy temple.

Narasimhamurthy/Sudarsanamurthy:

Jagadguru Sankaracharya finding that the power emanating from the Goddess was too intense for the people to bear,

installed an idol with the deities Narasimhamurthy facing the south and Sudarsanamurthy facing the north, on a raised

platform just outside the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) so that the Goddess might shed a more benign glory around

Her and protect the devotees as well as the people living in the neighbourhood. It is very unusual to have two Murtis on a

single stone and only an Acharya can consecrated them on the same idol.



Vilwamangalam Swami once happened to visit this temple and perform Pooja there.

On either side of the Goddess, inside the Garbhagriha, Poojas are performed to Lord Ganesha and Lord Mahavishnu,

though there are no idols for Them, as it is only a Sankalpa, devotees visiting this temple offers prayers to these Gods

also. There is a Nagakanyaka Pratishta while a Sastha Prastishta stands near to the entrance to the temple.

The temple is opened in the morning a little late around 6.30 am and is closed by 12 noon or 1 pm. It is again opened at 3

pm and after the evening pooja is closed by 6.30 pm.

Modalities of worship are as prescribed by Shankaracharya. Goddess here is worshipped in three forms viz., Vidya Durga

(Saraswathi), Vanadurga (Durga) and Aadi Durga (MooladurgaLakshmi). As Durga, She blesses the devotees with health,

early marriage and domestic harmony. Saraswathi is invoked for education and career. Lakshrni is of course Goddess of

wealth and prosperity.

The term “Katampuzha” means forest (Katu) and river (Puzha), but there is no river nearby. The name may have had its

derivation from Kirata (Katan or forest dweller) and Ampu (arrow) and Azha (quiver), a quiver of arrows which explains

the relation of the place to the Kirata-Arjuna fight.

The main offering in this temple, as mentioned earlier, is Poomodol which gained prominence due to the inherent quality

and power of flower petals to contain heat. In fact, “Poomodal” is considered as a very pious offering to Goddess and like

the Udayasthamana Pooja of Guruvayoor temple, it is booked in advance for a period of 5 or 10 years. This offering is

performed only once a day at about 10.30 am. During this Pooja lasting for about an hour or more, no other offerings are

accepted. The devotee who is making this offering and his family alone are allowed to worship at that time, the rest

waiting patiently in the queue to make their offerings. Another important offering here is Muttarackal. Literally the word

means clearing obstacles. Devotees offer this for overcoming all obstacles in their path and to ward off any evil that may

affect them. One coconut for every obstacle is the system followed. The popularity of this ritual can be gauged from the

figure of more than thirty lakhs of coconuts that are brought to the temple every year by the stream of devotees.

Kadampuzha in Malappuram District of Kerala is just about two kilometres east of Vettichira between Valanchery and

Kottakkal on N .H.17. Those who prefer train journey can alight at Kuttipuram or Tirur Railway Station from where there

are buses to the temple (Distance 19 kms).



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NALAMBALAM YATHRA

Bhadra Krishna Prasad

Nalambalam Yathra is a unique and novel pilgrimage conducted during the month of Karkitakam, the last month of

Malayalam Era in Kerala. Salient feature of Karkitakam is that it is a period of famine and illness.To overcome sufferings,

people resort to medical treatment and spiritual enrichment. A special way of living and worship of Rama is the general trend

of the period. Chanting of Rama mantra and Ramayana recitation echoes in each and every house during this period. This is

an eve of positive thinking about prosperity.

Since the last decade, Nalambalam Yathra has become in Vogue. It is a special kind of visiting 4 temples in Kerala – Sree Rama

Temple at Triprayar, Koodalmanikyam Bharatha temple at Irinjalakuda, Lakshmana temple at Moozhikkulam in Ernakulam

District and Payammal Shathrukhna temple near Irinjalakuda. (3 temples are in Trichur District)

Nalambalam Yathra starts with the visit to Sree Rama temple at Triprayar and ends with the visit to Payammal Temple, near

Irinjalakuda. Visiting four temples a day in the given order is the traditional way

The mythology behind Nalambalam Pilgrimage

Bhagawan Sri Krishna had four favorite idols which he worshipped every day --Lord Rama, Lord Lakshmana, Lord

Bharatha and Lord Shathrukhna. At the end of “Dwapara yugam” (in the Hindu Mythology ,old time had been divided in to

many yugams and Sri Krishna lived at the end of the Dwapara yugam) Sri Krishna knew that the end was near and directed

Sri Uddhhavan to install his favorite idols (mentioned above) in suitable places.

By the end of Dwapara Yuga whole Mathura was swallowed by the sea but these idols did not sink, they floated over the sea

water all together. Local chieftain Vakkey Kaimal had a dream about the floating idols and he went to the sea shore. There the

fishermen who got the idols handed over them to him. Sri Kaimal installed them in four different places as per the directions

of the astrologers’ advice.

Triprayar Sree Rama Temple near Thrissur

The Triprayar Temple was under the domain of Zamorines originally, then under Dutch and Mysore Sultans before it came to

the possession of Cochin Maharajas. The idol of Sree Rama was installed at this temple by the side of the river “Thivra”

(Thiru purayar) meaning sacred river. The origin of the river is described in a beautiful mythology. Lord Mahavishnu during

his “Vamana incarnation” visited this place and he found no water to wash his legs as the whole place was dry and

desolate.Vamana took the water from his “kamandalu” (a small round vessel used by sanyasis to carry water) and poured the

water to wash his legs, that source of water never went dry but kept on flowing as the Thiru Purayar or the Triprayar (river of

divine source) as it is called now.

Many legends unique to this part of the country prevail in this temple. It is said that when the image of Rama was discovered

and was about to be consecrated, it was divinely ordained that a peacock would appear and mark the exact spot on which it

was to be installed. Apparently the devotees installed the image in a spot where a devotee bearing peacock feathers appeared.

It is said that they regretted their decision later when a peacock actually appeared at another spot. To make up for this

deficiency the sacrificial altar or the balikkallu was installed at the spot marked by the peacock.



One mythology about the temple is related to “Naranathu Bhrandhan” the eccentric philosopher of the old Kerala myths. One

stone used for temple rituals (balikallu) was always found loose and unstable. When Naranathu bhrandhan paid a visit to the

temple the riddle was brought to him, the eccentric philosopher got it settled after performing special poojas. That stone is still

available in the temple premises.It is believed that the idols of the temple in the first time were not installed strictly as per the

astrological rules and calculations. It is believed that Naranathu Bhranthan corrected the errors by installing the idols of

Mother- Earth and Shree Bhagavathi at both sides of Sri Rama idol.

The namaskara mandapam which faces the circular sanctum (srikovil) has 24 panels of wood carvings and several ancient

murals. The circular sanctum has several sculptural representations of scenes from the Ramayana.

The image of Rama resembles the chaturbhuja Vishnu form with four arms, bearing a conch, a disc, a bow and a garland

respectively. It is believed that the deity worshipped here possesses some of the aspects of Shiva too. The image is adorned with

necklaces and other fine jewelry. Images of Sridevi and Bhudevi are on either side. Rama has been conceived in the form of the

victor over the demon Khara. There is an image of Dakshinamurthy, in the sanctum facing the south. It is also believed that

the portrayal of Rama with a garland held in the image's hands is also suggestive of aspects of Bhrahma and hence the deity is

said to be a manifestation of the Trimurthis. An unseen manifestation of Hanuman is worshipped in a mandapam across the

hall from the sanctum. There is also a shrine to Ganapathi in this temple. . There is no ‘Dhwaja Stambha' in this temple.

Devotees offer prayer first to the‘Namaskara Mandapa' before worshipping Sri Rama.

Devotees possessed of evil spirits throng to this place and the cure is miraculous due to the presence of Hanuman. He is

supposed to be always running about the temple chanting ‘Drishta Sita, Drishta Sita'. The periodical fireworks conducted here

also emanate the same type of sound.

There is a tale about Vedi offering.( bursting of gun-powder from a small but strong iron barrel with about 10 inch length and

4 inch diameter with a horizontal hole to hold the gun-powder} Hanuman who located Sita (when she was in the custody of

Ravana in Sri Lanka) reported the same to Rama in a country-style ‘Sitaye Kandutto’(hey, I saw Sita). The sounding voice of

‘tto’ of Kandutto was most liked by Rama. It was thereafter the offering of Vedi commenced in the temple, so say legends. The

day of Triprayar Temple starts with the Vedi. Whenever the deity goes out (the deity goes out for 7 days as a prelude to

Arattupuzha Pooram (festival), where he is the chief guest, for giving blessings to the devotees of nearby villages, the materials

for Vedi are also taken along.

The performing art “koothu” is very much associated with this temple. It is said that the once king Samoothiri visited this

temple and watched this art and he expressed his wish to see the Hanuman’s mischief’s in Lanka in detail. Thus the Koothu

was extended to a twelve day performance. The Koothu performance starts on the first of Vrischika month. (November)

The main festivals of the temple are the Pooram (held in the Malayalam month of Meenam) and Ekadashi (which falls in

November-December). The day preceding Ekadashi witnesses a procession of Shastha, while the Ekadashi festival is marked

by a procession of Rama flanked by 21 elephants and royal paraphernalia. One of the popular sacrifices (vazhipadu) at the

temple is meen-oottu (fish-feeding) which involves feeding grains of rice to the fish at the river that forms one boundary of the

temple.

.The temple opens at 3 at the morning and remains open till Noon. After Noon, the temple opens at 4 PM and remains open for

darshan till “Athazha pooja” at night. Darshan at 3 AM (Nirmalyam) and “Athazha sreebali” are considered very auspicious



Koodalmanikyam BharathaTemple of Irinjalakuda Near Thrissur

This is one of the most well known temples in Kerala built before the 15th century. It has uniqueness as the deity here is a

prominent figure in the Ramayana mythology –Lord Bharatha.As a temple with Lord Bhartha as deity is a rarity, there are

arguments that once this temple belonged to the Jains (Bharatheswara saint of Jains) and with the descent of Jainism this

temple was taken over by Hindus.

Lord Bharatha anxiously and devotedly awaited the return of Rama from exile for fourteen years and then learnt from

Hanuman that Rama has reached the outskirts of Ayodhya. He was much relieved and happy. Bharatha in that mood is

worshipped here. The idolis the majestic Chathurbahu Vishnu with Conch, Chakra, Gadha and Japamala

There are beautiful mythologies regarding the origin of the name “Koodal Manikyam” one of them goes like this. The idol of

this temple radiated magnificent light that excelled manikyam (a mythological precious stone believed to be kept and protected

by divine serpents).A manikyam kept in the Kayamkulam palace was brought to this temple to compare with the idol and to

see which emits more light! This was brought from the king of Kayamkulam on promise to return after comparison. When the

Manikyam was brought near the idol, it got merged with the idol! (Koodal manikyam means merger of manikyam).and thus

the name. Curiosity turned out to be a nightmare as the manikyam vanished. The whole temple had to be handed over to the

king of Kayamkulam as compensation. Due to the administrative difficulty the king of Kayamkulam handed over the right of

the temple administration to Sri Thatchudaya Kaimal. It was his family which handled the temple till 1971.

This temple has got much uniqueness. Once the ruling kings used to install granite slabs with his orders written, in this temple

premises, the remnants of these stone slabs are still available. The flowers used for pooja are as usual but thetchi (ixora) and

thulasi (ocimum sanctum) etc not grown in the compound. Usually when Thulasi leaves are offered to the deity, its seeds

invariably sprout in the premises. How this has not at any time happened in this temple is a mystery. One explanation is that

Thulasi plant being sacred; it is worshipped wherever it is found. Probably it is to forbid even such an object of secondary

worship in the temple precincts that Thulasi is not allowed to grow by some unforeseen power. Incense sticks and camphor are

not used for the puja.

There are no (chuttambalam) sub deities in this temple. There is a story about the presence of all gods. Once, a priest vowed to

invoke all the gods from the temples and align with the temple of his village. He reached Koodalmanikyam after invoking the

gods from all other temples. When he was returning, the conch in his hand in which he had kept all the invoked gods, fell down

and shattered which resulted in aligning all the gods in the Koodalmanikyam Kshetram. This obviously negated the need of

sub-deities in the temple.All the divinity that he had collected so far merged into the idol of Lord Bharatha and from then on

the idol also came to be called as Sri Sangameshwarar.Even today the Namboodiri Brahmins conduct the pujas in the temple

in the name of Shiva, Vishnu, and Devi at the Sangameshwara Sannidhi.



The architecture used for the construction of this temple is typical Kerala style. The temple pond is also unique as but fish, no

other aquatic creatures are not present. The pond inside the compound is believed to be sanctified by Kulipini Maharishi

(Sage) who had held a great yagam here. The pond is known as Kulipini Theertham.The pond outside the compound located at

the eastern side is called Kuttan Kulam.

The Koothambalam is a sanctified erect here. If the sanctum sanctorum is maligned due to any reason, Koothambalam houses

the idol till the sanctum sanctorum is purified. This multiplies the importance of the Koothamblam here.

The deity of Koodalmanikyam is considered as the incarnation of “Dhanvanthari moorthi” The saint of healing. Hence many

people approach this temple expecting cure of their ailments. The deity food made of brinjal offering is for relief of stomach

related ailments. Meenoottu (feeding to fish) is considered for pulmonary related sicknesses.

Even though this is hard to believe, it is believed that Hanuman is present even today at theThidappilly, the holy temple

kitchen. The temple cooks believe that Hanuman helps themlift huge Kitchen Vessels in which the naivedhyams are cooked

single handedly, the other invisible hand being that of Hanuman!

On the triputtiriof the Thiruvonam day in the month ofThulam (October-November) newly harvested rice is cooked and first

offered to Lord Bharatha and the next day there is a special offering called Mukkidi. The deity food offering of Mukkidi (an

ayurvedic preparation) once a year is meant for forbidding and curing of all diseases. The Mukkidi is prepared by the eminent

Ayurveda Physician Kuttanchery Moossath and the know-how for its preparation is guarded by him as a close secret.

Festival is held for all days in Medam (April-May) from Uthram to Thiruvonam asterisms, the flag hoisting being on the

Uthram day. Procession accompanied by caparisoned elephants is a special feature of the festival. Seventeen elephants are

engaged for the ceremonial rounds which happen once in a year for ten days, along with Panchari Melam. The last two days

of festival, Panchavadyam is also there. The head gears ('Netti pattam' in Malayalam language) of seven elephants are made of

pure gold (Or so believed) and rest of pure silver is another uniqueness of this temple.. It starts the day after the famous

Thrissur Pooram and goes on for 10 days.

Darshan is possible from 3am – 11.30am, and 5pm to 8pm.. For getting the desired wishes fulfilled, the offering made to the

deity is garland made of lotus flower.It is believed to have the power to destroy all evils and prevent heavy rains during

auspicious occasions like marriage and other celebrations.

Lakshmana Temple of Thirumoozhikulam between Aluva and Maala

The deity of Lakshmana is also a rarity. It is situated at Moozhikulam between Alwaye and Maala. The mythology behind the

name of this place goes like this. Once upon a time on the banks of river Poorna, an old Sanyasi by name Haritha Maharishi

lived to undergo penance and meditation. Lord Mahavishnu got impressed by the dedication of the yogi and appeared before

him. That was the beginning of the “Kali yuga” (as per the Hindu calendar of all the yuagas, Kaliyuga is the last one and that



is present yuga in which we all are living) and the advices given by Mahavishnu were the ideal ways to lead life in this kali

yuga.

These advices are said to be “thiru mozhi” meaning sacred words. And the place got its name as “thirumozhi kalam” –kalam

meaning a stage. Later as years passed by thirumozhikalam became “Thirumoozhikulam”.

The Thirumoozhikulam Lakshmana Perumal temple had a superior status and it had a command over the other local temples.

It attracted most of the Tamil Vaishnavite pilgrims who visited ancient Kerala. The temple had a bylaw by name

“Moozhikkulam katcha” which applied to all other temples of Kerala.

The “Periya Thiruvaymozhi” composed by the Tamil poet “Nammazhvar” praises the greatness of deity of

Thirumoozhikkulam. The deity of this temple Lakshmanan is said to be kind to those who suffer and the wish of the devotees

get fulfilled. Devotees vouch of their wish getting good children by visiting the temple which is also claimed to ail illness of

heart. The Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) of the shrine is copper sheet roofed and the Chuttambalam (the building

surrounding the sanctum sanctorum) is large. The lamp shelter is guarded by the servants of the gods.

There are idols of Siva as dakshinamoorthi (south side) Ganapati, Sri Raman, Seetha, Hanuman, Ayyappan and Bhagavathy

in this temple. The idol of Sri Krishna (as goshala Krishnan) is also present.

Specific modalities for Darshan have been set forth. Devotees enter the shrine through eastern entrance and first worship

Lakshmana. After praying there then visit Ganapathy, Siva and other deities, then come back to Lakshmana to offer a second

prayer, after the pradikshana visit Ayyappa and Bhagavathy and then Krishna, and final visit to Lakshmana’s steps to offer

prayers before returning.

The annual festival is in Medam (April/May).

The Shatrukhna Temple of Payyammel near Irinjalakuda

After Moozhikulam, a return journey to arrive at Payammal Shathrukhna shrine is needed for the completion of Nalambala

Darshanam. The Payyammal temple is near Koodalmanikyam Kshetram. The custom prohibits coming to Payammal straight



from Koodalmanikyam. The worshipping of Shathrukhna, the younger amongst the four, is to be only after worshipping

Lakshmana during the Nalambala Darshanam.

The Payammal temple is about seven kilometers from Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikyam temple in the Irinjalakuda Mathilakam

route. Of the four idols retrieved from the sea by the fishermen this idol is the smallest. Shatrukhna is considered to be the

reincarnation of the Sri Chakra in the hands of Mahavishnu.

The idol of Lord Shatrukhna is housed in a squarish granite sanctum sanctorum in the Payammal temple. The original

Panchaloha (Five Metals - Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold and Silver) has been untraceable though efforts have been made to

retrieve it from the temple pond situated in the back yard of the temple complex. The existing idol made of granite exudes a

rare kind of divinity. The temple is haven of peace and sanctity and a devotee experiences a unique sense of satisfaction after

praying in this abode

During the period of Tippu Sultan this temple suffered severe damages but it was rebuilt by the joint efforts of the good people

around it. By their initiative the temple festivals poojas and all other rituals restarted. Now it is working as a full fledged

temple in all respects.

There are three poojas performed at this temple which opens for darshan early morning closes the door by ten in the

morning. The second session starts in the evening and remains open for darshan for “deeparadhana” and “Athazha pooja”

and closes at 7PM. A lamp is lighted behind the “sreekovil” which is square in shape and built in granite. Ganapathy is in the

southern part . Ganapathi “homam” is a special offering conducted by the devotees.

. The temple is considered as a symbol of Mahasudarsana Chakra of Mahavishnu. Based on this belief, the major offering here

is Pushpanjali (flower-offering). Sudharshana Pushpanjali and submission of Sudharshana chakram offered at this temple are

considered to boost the prosperity of the family members. Food offering in the form of Aval (poha) to Hanuman is practiced

here

The five days’ temple festival starts at Pooyam star of the month of Kumbham. The Ramayana month is celebrated with gaiety

in the month of Karkitakam (between July and August.)

With the visit at Payammal Shatrukhna temple the pilgrimage of Nalambalam is considered over for that particular year. One

feels really blessed and vitalised.The constant radiation of Saattvic qualities from these temples, provides inner Peace , Health

and Prosperity.

Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu

Bhadra Krishna Prasad

(Thanks to my family, friends and articles for the relevant information)



Great Temples series

||Om Namo Narayanaya||

Kanichukulangara Temple

Indu

As I intend to write about Kanichukulangara temple, I feel that some Malayalam terms have to be

written in Manglish as those cannot fetch full justice in English .

This is all about a Bhadrakali temple, centuries old which takes it’s place in

southern Kerala in Alleppey district. Many legends are there binding this temple of

which I shall put in a few.

Kanichukulangara got it’s name from the term Kalichukulangara. It is said that

Devi came from North Malabar to Travancore in a kappal ( marakkalam ) In short her

transit was through waters from the north..Kappalil kalichuvanna Devi aayathu kondu

she came to be known as Kalichukulangara Devi, which later changed to it’s present

name.

The belief is that a learned Bhramin was supposed to have seen Devi as a beautiful

young girl near the pond on the eastern side; and it’s He who installed Devi. The idol is

of jack wood and is green in colour..

Another story is also connected with the same. During the rampage of Hyder Ali and

Tippu ( 1773 – 1790 ) a Brahmin from north came along with their idol of worship and

installed it there. Later after the rampage, when peace and harmony set in, he and his

family stayed back.

Besides the main diety there are umpteen number of temples of upadevas to say

starting with Ganapathi, Dharmashastha, Dhanwanthari, Bhramarakshassu ,

Kodumkali, Vishnu, Vethali, Khandakarnan, Muruga, Shiva, Kaavudaya moorthi and

idols of Yakshi, Nagaraja, Nagayakshi and Arukola.

A place of importance goes to the shrine of *Chakki amma* at Panachikka parambu a

little away from the temple premises towards the west and it belongs to the

Nampoothiri’s. Pregnant women come and offer their prayers there .



Another important feature that cannot be omitted is the rare species of Kaitha ( screw

pine ) [Pandanus] that is found a bit far from the temple premises. It has 7 or more

strands of thorns than the usual 3. Devi chaithanyam is said to be present there. Once

the festival flag is hoisted nobody cuts Kaitha until the functions are over. Belief is that

a maiden during the time when she was to abstain from religious duties, is supposed to

have cut those leaves and Devi’s cursefell upon these plants .. 7 strands of thorns on a

Kaitha leaf turns absolutely useless for the purpose.

The main offerings at Kanichukulangara Bhagavathi Temple are Guruthi, Raktha

pushpanjali and Amrutheth. The special offerings done during Temple festival is

Garudan Thookam and Deepakaazhcha (Thiri Pidutham) These seem to be Devi’s

Favourite.

The festival commences in the month of Kumbham and lasts for 21 days.. Before the

festival begins it’s a ritual of the Temple management and the Shanti’s to ask

permission from the Nair Tharvad that has connection with this temple. For this, the

Temple management and the Shanti’s bearing Olakuda, accompanied by vadyamelam,

go there, place betel leaf and arecnut as dakshinaand announce the news regarding the

festival. This happens on Makara Sankranthi.

About 20 days before the flag hoisting ceremony, Para Eduppu begins and that is a rare

phenomenon when compared to other temples.

Another rare feature seen only in this temple is the ‘ Chikkira kuttikal ‘. Girls below 10

and boys below 12compriseChikkira kuttikal. Offering them to Devi is the meaning of

the term Chikkira iruthal . It’s for getting good natured children with long life and

good education...More than thousands ofchildren are seen every year. They are dressed

in red or yellow silk attires and decked with jewels and flower garlands. They stay in

the temple premises all these 21 days. Facilities are made for their stay and everyone

watch them with respect.

Pongala is done here for the benefit of ayurarogyam and roga shanthi. All these 21

days after deeparadhana, songs of Bhagavathi’s saga are sung in front of her picture

drawn on the floor. Everyday from morn till evening Devi Bhagavatha parayanam is

also conducted. On the 15th day of the festival during ucha pooja the renewing of the ‘

Pattum Thaliyum’ is done. Ever since that auspicious moment it is a belief that Devi’s

presence is felt all over the place. 16th day is udukku paattu conducted for Shasthavu .

From day one, till the last day after the evening deeparadhana it’s fire works. . The last

two days,it’s between the two groups. It’s said, Kanichukulangara stands 2nd place after

Trissur Pooram in fireworks.



Garudan Thookkam is a very colourful and sensuous performance that occurs just once

in a year in the month of Kumbham on Thiruvonam asterisk just before the AaRaaTTu

. Devotees shout and praise Devi namams and it’s one of Devi’s favourite..

With the AaRaaTTu that happens in the wee hours,the next day, Kanichukulangara

Bhagavathi Temple festival marks it’s end for the year.

After this thiru ulsavam, devotees (mostly ladies) undergo strict vrutham for 7 days,

have a dip in the temple pond and circumambulate the shrine holding lighted wicks.

This is known as the offering Thiri Pidutham.

*Chakki amma *.

According to the legends a namboothiri priest had fallen in love with Chakki amma

who was an Ezhava. On realizing that she had become pregnant, the priest left her,

leaving behind, the temple and all his assests . On hearing this his brother committed

suicide. It’s the Rakshassu of this person that’s considered as the Temple Authority and

has been installed there. Later Chakki amma is also said to have died following her

delivery.

To save Chakki amma from insult she was worn a ring by him and was also handed the

temple keys too ..When she asked him if Devi would accept pooja from an ezhava lady

he advised her just to light a lamp.. and said that people would bring her all that she

needed. Even to this day devotees bring her offerings according to their capacities . He

had also adviced her to ask Devi to go to Thiruvizha Temple ( which is close by ) for

the ucha pooja.

There’s no Vechu pooja ; only Thrimadhura nedyam and that’s the reason.

As a mark of that incident even today in the ‘ Thidapalli ‘ of Thiruvizha Temple a lamp

is lit with a Lotus in front and just before ucha pooja … kooTTu payasa nivedyam is

kept..

Chakki amma is considered a ‘ Sthree Ratnam’ and that’s the shrine mentioned above..

*************



Great Bhaktas

||Om Namo Narayanaya||

Sarada Ma

Veena

Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, the great Saint was born in a village called Kamarpukur, in Hooghly district in

Bengal in 1846. When he was 19 years old, he accompanied his elder brother Ramkumar to a newly constructed

temple garden in Dakshineshwar which was sponsored and bult under the supervision of a rich widow, a sudra

woman, Rani Rasmani. The garden had several temples, but the ishta devata was the Divine Mother, Kali. The

whole area covered about twenty acres and also had temples dedicated to Lord Siva and Radha – Krishna’s

consort. Within a short time, Ramakrishna’s religious fervour drew the attention of Rani Rasmani’s son-in-law

Mohan Mathur. Mathur wished Ramakrishna to participate in the daily worship in the temples, but Ramakrishna

loved his freedom and was indifferent to any worldly career. But eventually Ramakrishna gave in to Mathur’s

persuasions and after the passing away of his brother, along with his nephew Hriday soon immersed himself in the

temple rituals. However, the worship in the temple soon intensified Ramakrishna’s yearning to see a living vision of

the Divine Mother. As his love for God deepened, he started forgetting the formalities of worship. Sometimes, he

would cry with so much anguish that onlookers would think he had lost his own mother and sympathize with him.

As his spiritual intensity deepened, he felt himself to be Kali’s child and totally surrendered to Her- sometimes as a

child, sometimes as a servant. His strange behavior and failing health eventually led to his being sent home to his

own mother in Kamarpukur. After a few months of rest and peace, his health seemed to improve and his mother

decided to arrange his marriage. Ramakrishna was then 23 years old. The bride to be was Saradamani, then 5



years old, who even at that age prayed to God to keep her character as stainless as fragrant as the white rose. As

a child Sarada was devoted to God, and spent most of her time helping her mother in various household chores

like caring for younger children, looking after cattle and carrying food to her father and others engaged in work in

the field. She had no formal schooling, but managed to learn the Bengali alphabet. The marriage ceremony was

performed, but because the bride was too young, Ramakrishna returned to Dakshineshwar and his wife would join

him much later.

In 1867 Saradamani joined Ramakrishna in Kamarpukur. By this time Ramakrishna had gone through

several spiritual disciplines and austerities and had visions of the mother even when he was not in a meditative

state. Although he had not read many books, he possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of religions and religious

philosophies. Many people had started visiting him to satisfy their spiritual hunger. He- the devotee, and the

aspirant, became the Master. But his failing health required that he return to Kamarpukur to recover from the

effects of his austerities. Saradamani’s spiritual development was far beyond her years. She was able to

understand his mental state immediately. She became eager to learn from him and live with him as his attendant.

The Master accepted her cheerfully as a disciple and a spiritual companion. Referring to the experiences of those

days, she said, “I used to feel always as though a pitcher full of bliss were placed in my heart. The joy was

indescribable.” In 1872, Sarada devi visited her husband in Dakshineshwar. Since meeting him four years earlier,

she had become even more gentle, unselfish, pious, tender, and introspective. She had heard many rumors of her

husband’s supposed insanity. The more she thought, the more she felt that her duty was to be by the side of her

husband. Accompanied by her father, she traveled eighty miles to Dakshineshwar to meet the Master. He took up

the duty of instructing his young wife who was now 18 years old. The instruction included everything from

housekeeping to the Knowledge of Brahman. He taught her how to trim a lamp, how to behave with people

according to their temperaments, and how to conduct herself in front of visitors. He also instructed her in the

spiritual ways – doing prayer, meditation, japa, deep contemplation, and Samadhi. The first lesson she received

was, “God is everybody’s beloved, just as the moon is dear to every child. Everyone has the same right to pray to

Him. Out of His grace He reveals Himself to everyone who calls upon Him. You too will see Him if you but pray to

Him.” Sri Ramakrishna and his wife lived together in Dakshineshwar, but their minds were always above the

worldly plane. A few months after her arrival, Sri Ramakrishna arranged a special worship of Mother Kali on an

auspicious day. But instead of an image of the deity, he seated Sarada devi on the seat. The worshipper and the

worshipped soon went into Samadhi, unconscious of the world, united in their souls. After several hours, Sri

Ramakrishna awakened to the world, and bowed down before her, and surrendered to her himself, his japa mala,

and the fruit of his life long sadhana. By his marriage Ramakrishna showed the value of marriage in man’s spiritual

evolution, and by their austerities and monastic way of life, they demonstrated the necessity of purity and self

control in the path of realization of God. Truly their lives were the synthesis of the life of the householder and the

monk. When disciples began to gather around Sri Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi learned to look upon them as her

own children. The room in which she stayed at Dakshineshwar was too small to live in and had hardly any

amenities; and on many days she did not get the opportunity of meeting Sri Ramakrishna. But she bore all

difficulties silently and lived in contentment and peace, serving the increasing number of devotees who came to

see Sri Ramakrishna.



In 1885, Ramakrishna, diagnosed with throat cancer, was moved to Calcutta for treatment. Sarada Devi, now

known and worshipped by his disciples as the Holy Mother, also moved to Calcutta, and took responsibility of

cooking and preparing the special diet that he was put on. The dwelling space was extremely limited and she had

to live in very cramped conditions. She woke up at 3.00 a.m. and after a bathe in the Ganges, she would enter a

small covered place on the roof where she would spend the whole day cooking and praying. At 11.00 p.m. she

would come down after all the visitors had gone away and then get a few hours of sleep; she lived like this for

three months, working hard, sleeping little, and praying continuously for his recovery.

Said Swami Nikhilananda, a direct disciple of the Mother - "The Holy Mother was an unusual awakener of

souls. With her disciples she served as teacher, dissolving their doubts, as mother, who through love and

compassion won their hearts, and as the Divinity, who assured them of liberation. Herself nearly illiterate, through

simple words she taught them the most profound truths. Her affectionate maternal love tamed their rebellious

spirits; but her great power lay in her solicitude for all. Often she said, "I am the Mother, who will look after them

if not I?" She encouraged them when they were depressed because of slow spiritual progress, and she took upon

herself their sins and iniquities, suffering on that account.

"Holy Mother was conscious of her divine nature, but she rarely expressed this awareness. For many years Sri

Ramakrishna practiced great austerities and formally renounced the world, but Holy Mother lived as a simple

householder, surrounded by quarrelsome and greedy relatives. As a teacher she taught the realization of God

alone is real, and everything else, impermanent. The human body so treasured by most people, survives

cremations as only three pounds of ashes. Holy Mother -- humility itself -- claimed that she was in no way different

from other devotees of the Master. Her disciples felt awed and uplifted when she blessed them by touching their

head with the same hand which had touched the feet of God. She was fully aware of her disciples' present

limitations and their future possibilities. No one went away from her with a downcast heart.”

After Sri Ramakrishna’s passing away in 1886, Sarada Devi spent some months in pilgrimage, and then went to

Kamarpukur where she lived in great privation. Coming to know of this, the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna brought

her to Kolkata. This marked a turning point in her life. She now began to accept spiritual seekers as her disciples,

and became the open portal to immortality for hundreds of people. Her great universal mother-heart, endowed

with boundless love and compassion, embraced all people without any distinction, including many who had lived

sinful lives.

When the Western women disciples of Swami Vivekananda came to Kolkata, the Holy Mother accepted them with

open arms as her daughters, ignoring the restrictions of the orthodox society of those days. Although she had

grown up in a conservative rural society without any access to modern education, she held progressive views, and

whole-heartedly supported Swami Vivekananda in his plans for rejuvenation of India and the uplift of the masses

and women. She was closely associated with the school for girls started by Sister Nivedita.

She spent her life partly in Calcutta and partly in her native village Jayrambati. Although she was highly venerated



for her spiritual status, and literally worshipped as the Divine Mother, she continued to live like a simple village

mother, washing clothes, sweeping the floor, bringing water from the pond, dressing vegetables, cooking and

serving food. At Jayrambati she lived with her brothers and their families. They gave her endless troubles but,

established as she was in the awareness of God and in Divine Motherhood, she always remained calm and self-

possessed, showering love and blessings on all who came into contact with her. As Sister Nivedita stated, “Her life

was one long stillness of prayer.”

In the history of humanity there has never been another woman who looked upon herself as the Mother of

all beings, including animals and birds, and spent her whole life in serving them as her children, undergoing

unending sacrifice and self-denial. About her role in the mission of Sri Ramakrishna on earth, she stated: “My son,

you know the Master had a maternal attitude (matru-bhava) towards every one. He has left me behind to

manifest that Divine Motherhood in the world.”

On account of her immaculate purity, extraordinary forbearance, selfless service, unconditional love, wisdom and

spiritual illumination, Swami Vivekananda regarded Sri Sarada Devi as the ideal for women in the modern age. He

believed that with the advent of Holy Mother, the spiritual awakening of women in modern India had begun.

Under the strain of constant physical work and self-denial and repeated attacks of malaria, her health deteriorated

in the closing years of her life, and she left the mortal world on 21 July 1920.

References

1. ‘The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna’ originally recorded in Bengali, by Mahendranath Gupta, a disciple of the

Master and translated into English by Swami Nikhilananda

2. http://www.ramakrishna.org/sn.htm

3. http://www.belurmath.org/srisaradadevi.htm



Vishu & Wealth

Balagopal Ramakrishnan

The single most important ritual of Vishu is the 'Kani'. It

represents 'Ayishwariyam'. Coming to the concept of

"WEALTH" itself - the traditional Hindu definition - the view

of the Sanathana Dharma has been very broad - we speak

of Ashta Aishwaryiam, Nava Nidhi , the sixteen "wealths"

( Elders in Tamilnadu blesses- "Pathinaarum Petru Peru

Vaazhvu Vaazhga" - meaning, may you obtain the

SIXTEEN wealths and lead a prosperous life) - renders

wealth to be a lot more than just money or cash.

Be cautious not to become the 'Shankukarna', the wealthy

brahmana in the following story from the Padma Purana.

Alongwith get to know the glories of the Chapter 7 of

Bhagavan's Gita too.

Lord Shiva said, "My dear Parvati, now I will tell you the

glories of the Seventh Chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad

gita — hearing which, one feels his ears have been filled

with divine nectar.

Pataliputra is the name of a large town which has many

large gates. In that town lived a brahmana of the name

Shankukarna. He had taken to the occupation of a

businessman and had amassed large wealth. But he had

never performed any type of devotional activities, nor

had he performed the necessary ritualistic

performances for the sake of his forefathers. He

became very rich, so much that even great kings would

dine at his house. Shankukarna was also the most

miserly of persons, and he kept his wealth buried

under the ground.

Once, when that brahmana was going along with his

children and other relatives for the purpose of his

fourth marriage, they stopped at one place to rest for

the night. While he was sleeping, a snake came and bit

him. When his sons and relatives realized that a snake

had bitten him, they called for the doctors and

mantra-chanters. But no one was able to help

Shankukarna, and shortly he died.

After that he attained the body of a Preta-Sarpa, a

snake-ghost. The only thing he was able to think about

was his wealth, which was buried close to the house

where he had lived. He had not even informed his own

family of the whereabouts of his wealth. In the form

of a Preta-Sarpa he resided at the place where his

wealth was buried, so that no one else could take that



wealth. After some time he became tired of being

trapped in the form of a Preta-Sarpa, and he appeared

in dreams to his sons, requesting them to help him. In

the morning, when his lazy sons woke up, they told

each other about the dream they had seen. One of his

sons took a large digging instrument in his hands and

went to the place the father had indicated that he was

living. When he reached that place he realized that he

was not aware of the exact spot where the wealth was

buried. That son was exceptionally greedy, and he

searched for a long time, until he came across a

snake-hole, which he promptly started to dig out.

Shortly a very large and fearful-looking snake came

out of that hole and spoke the following, "Oh, fool,

who are you? Why have you come here? Who has sent

you?

And why are you digging at this place? Reply to my

questions at once."

The son replied, "I am your son. My name is Shiva. In

a dream last night, I saw that there were hidden

treasures buried at this place and I came to take

them. When he heard Shiva speaking that way the

Preta-Sarpa started to laugh and said, "If you are my

son, then why are you not performing the necessary

rituals to free me from this hellish situation? Due to

greed in my last life, I attained this body and now

you are heading the same way."

The son inquired, "My dear father, kindly tell me how

you can be freed from this hellish situation." The

Preta-Sarpa said, "Not by any kind of charity, tapasya

or yajna, only by reciting of the Seventh Chapter of

Srimad Bhagavad -gita will I be able to become free

from the wheel of birth and death. My dear son, kindly

perform the shraddha ceremony and, on that day, invite

a Brahmana who is in the habit of chanting the Seventh

Chapter of Srimad Bhagavad -gita , and feed him very

sumptuously."

Thereafter, Shiva, along with his other brother,

fulfilled the instructions of their father and while

the Brahmana was chanting the Seventh Chapter of

Srimad Bhagavad -gita , Sankukarna gave up that

frightful body of a Preta-Sarpa and attained a divine

four-armed body. At that time he blessed his sons,

informed them where his wealth was and then left for

Vaikuntha.

Those sons, whose minds had become fixed in devotion

to Lord Krishna, used that wealth for building

temples, digging wells and distributing foodstuffs.

They all engaged daily in the recitation of the

Seventh Chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad gita, and very

quickly they attained the lotus feet of Lord Krishna.

Lord Shiva said, "My dear Parvati, I have told you the

wonderful glories of the Seventh Chapter of Srîmad

Bhagavad gita. Anyone who hears this description will

be freed from all sinful reactions."



Speaking with “Death”

Vinod P.S

All Upanishads are written in Sanskrit, and the commentary by Acharya Shankara is taken as the most authentic.

Upanishads are based on the dialogue between a realized soul acting as the Teacher, Rishi, and a sincere seeker of

Truth who approaches Him as a disciple. In Katha Upanishad the teacher is Yama - The Death Himself - and the student

is a young Nachiketa in his teens. This Upanishad is one of the most popular Upanishads for its simplicity and clarity in

making the subject matter regarding the Highest truth easily comprehensible. It consists altogether of 120 verses.

The Contents

As the story goes, Vajashrava, Nachiketa's father, decided to acquire fruits of sacrificial ritual – “Viswajit Yajna” in which

the performer had to give away all his precious possessions. Cows were designated as valuable and special possessions

in those very ancient days, and hence Vajashrava decided to donate all his cows to Brahmins.

Nachiketa was in his teens, and he was observing the sacrificial ritual with innocent interest. However, he was surprised

to notice that his father was giving away only old and disabled cows, cows ‘who had given their milk for the last time and

who were not capable of bearing calves'.

This 'worldly cleverness' of his father produced unfathomable change in the heart of this young boy in whose heart now

entered Shraddha – the Faith. Nachiketa, in order to dissuade his father from engaging in further mean acts, asked, "O

father, to whom have you decided to give me away?" (The purport was to bring to the notice of his father the fact that he

has to give his everything and not just old cows.)

Initially, the father did not take any notice of this 'childish' question, but Nachiketa was insistent. He repeated the question

thrice when the irritated father said, "All right, O Nachiketa, I give you to Death."



Thus ordained, young Nachiketa went to the kingdom of Yama - The Death - where he waited for the return of Death from

his duties. On his return, Yama was told about the 'Brahmin boy waiting for him for three days without food or water'.

Yama praised sincerity of Nachiketa to wait for him, but also felt grieved that he was responsible for keeping a Brahmin

boy waiting for him. Therefore, he granted three boons to Nachiketa one each for a day of waiting.

The Boons

"O Death, of the three boons you have offered me, I ask for the first to the effect that my father may become freed from

anxiety about me and he may recognize me and talk to me when freed by you."

The boon was granted. As the next boon Nachiketa asked for granting him the knowledge of the means to attain higher

life in the heaven and immortality. There is a dialogue between Yama and the boy about the primordial Fire and sacrificial

rituals to attain to heavenly life. Yama tells him about the methods and ways of performing these Yajnas etc. Death tells

him that it is the sharpened intellect of the enlightened one, which qualifies that sadhaka to become fit to go to heaven. In

heaven there is no fear, fear of old age, etc. having transcended both hunger and thirst, and crossed over sorrow, one

rejoices in the heavenly world.

The Third Boon

Then comes the main subject matter of this Upanishad. As regards his third boon, Nachiketa wants to know:

"This doubt that arises, consequent on the death of a man - some saying 'It (The SELF) exists', and others saying 'It (The

SELF) does not exist'. I would like to know this, under your instruction, O Death, what is the Truth." I. i. 20.

Nachiketa had asked for the ultimate knowledge. What is death, what is after death! What is Reality and what is Truth?

Yama tries to dissuade the young boy from going into these subtle questions of immense intricacies for ‘Death’ was not

sure whether Nachiketa was qualified to receive this knowledge for which only an occasional and rare aspires.



Yama exhorts Nachiketa to ask for health, life, riches, jewels, and enjoyment. 'Ask for lasting kingdom and armies, ask for

anything in this world or of heaven, I will grant you all this as your third boon, but do not force me to go into the secrets of

life and death. Do not insist for ultimate knowledge.'

"Ask for sons and grandsons that will be centurions. Ask for many animals, elephants and gold, and horses, and vast

expanse of the earth. And you yourself live for as many years as you like." I. i. 23.

"If you think some other boon to be equal to this, ask for that. Ask for wealth and long life. O Nachiketa, you become a

ruler over a vast region. I make you fit for the enjoyment of all delectable things." I. i. 24.

"Whatever things there be that are desirable but difficult to get -- pray for all those cherished things according to your

choice. Here are these women with chariots and musical instruments -- such are surely not to be had by mortals. With

these, who are offered by me, you get yourself served. “O Nachiketa do not inquire about death." I. i. 25.

But Nachiketa argues that all worldly treasures and heavenly pleasures come to an end sooner or later. If not day after,

after hundred years. These are not permanent means of enjoyment. Nachiketa says, "O Death, ephemeral are these, and

they waste away the vigor of all the organs that a man has. All life without exception is short indeed. Let the vehicles be

yours alone; let the dances and songs be yours." I. i. 26.

He insists to get the ultimate knowledge of Self, 'for, O Death, you have promised me the third boon'.

Seeing the determination, faith, sincerity, and perseverance of Nachiketa, seeing him to be the perfect disciple, Death

agrees to tell him about the Ultimate Reality: Brahman or Atman.

Death says, "The preferable is different indeed; and so, indeed, is the pleasurable different. These two, serving divergent

purposes, bind men. Good befalls him who accepts the preferable among these two. He who selects pleasurable over

preferable falls from the true end." I. ii. 1.

"The preferable and pleasurable approach man. The man of intelligence, having considered them, separates the two. The



intelligent one selects the electable in preference to the delectable; the non-intelligent one selects the delectable for the

sake of growth and protection of the body, etc." I. ii. 2.

"O Nachiketa, you, such as you are, have discarded, after consideration all the desirable things that are themselves

delightful or are the producers of delight. You have not accepted this path of wealth in which many a man comes to grief."

I. ii. 3.

"Living in the midst of ignorance and considering themselves intelligent and enlightened, the senseless people go round

and round, following crooked courses, just like the blind led by the blind." I. ii. 5.

"This wisdom that you have, O Nachiketa, which leads to sound knowledge when imparted only someone else, other

than logician, by the wonderful expounder, is not to be attained through argumentation. You are, O compassionate one,

endowed with true resolution. May our question be like you, O Nachiketa!" I. ii. 9.

And as Death goes on elaborating the subtlety and nuances of means and methods to achieve that transcendental state,

consciousness of Nachiketa also is getting established in that altered state to experience those Truths.

"The intelligent man gives up happiness and sorrow by developing concentration of mind on the SELF and thereby

meditating on the old Deity who is inscrutable, lodged inaccessibly, located in the intellect, and seated in the midst of

misery." I. ii. 12.

"The intelligent SELF is neither born nor does It die. It did not originate from anything, nor did anything originate from It. It

is birthless, eternal, undecaying, and ancient. It is not injured even when the is killed." I. ii. 18. "The SELF that is subtler

than the subtle, and greater than the great, is lodged in the heart of every creature. A desireless man sees that glory of

the SELF through the serenity of the organs and thereby he becomes free from sorrow." I. ii. 20.

And on and on goes the dialogue between the two great knowers of the Truth...

It is wonderful fact that if the Teacher and the taught are of highest qualifications, it is a matter of minutes to enter the

state of samadhi. As the Teacher explains so does the disciple experiences the Truths spoken.

Nachiketa gets established into highest state of bliss where 'knowledge of Brahman becomes a fact of direct experience'.

The theme of Kathopanishad is that the treasure of human life, the real Self, is to be found within. Within is immortality.

Within is where Atman or Reality resides. The journey to the discovery of the real Self is the goal or the purpose of life.

The dualists believe that the individual, the universe, and the cosmic Self are entirely separate units, having their

independent existence. According to this belief, by knowing one’s own Self one acquires only a partial knowledge. A wide

gulf separates this school of thought from Vedanta. The most valuable and elevating contribution of Vedantic literature is

that the Self, or God, is not separate or far away from us, but dwells within the inner chamber of our being. This is the

central tenet in the philosophy of Vedanta.



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